The widespread use of smartphones, push notifications, and things like Ajax have made it as instantaneous as IM or SMS. Has that changed your expectations of other people when using email?

Nowadays, we get notifications for pretty much any type of communication on the net. Our computers and phones let us know of incoming IMs, SMS messages, email, and even Facebook messages instantaneously—but many people argue that each form of communication has a different connotation. As Gina puts it in the Lifehacker book, we've always argued that you should "set two or three meetings with your inbox" instead of responding to each new message as it arrives. However, other folks think that since we're all surgically attached to our inboxes anyway, we should treat it just like any other form of instantaneous communication. With that in mind, we're wondering:

Of course, a lot of this has to do with our broader assumptions about email. How formal do you think it should be? Should it be instantaneous? Do you expect salutations, or are SMS-like one liners acceptable? Share your email expectations with us in the comments. Photo by Ian Lamont.